


Carmen Sandiego: Julia the Scarleet

by gen3king



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Corruption, Crimes & Criminals, Drug Use, Heist, Police, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27539704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gen3king/pseuds/gen3king
Summary: Role swap for Carmen Sandiego where Carmen works for A.C.M.E. and Julia is the master thief. The plot is as follows.Julia, fed up with the corruption of the police, takes matters into her own hands after a suspect disappears from custody. Fortunately still having their phone in evidince, she follows a lead to stop a heist on a museum nearby. However, rather than call for back up, Julia returns the goods on her own due to a prior incident at the station that morning that caused her to lose faith in the law.Carmen, a former agent of a secret crime organization seeks refuge from her ex employer by striking a deal with an international police force known as Interpol.Two different people fighting to stop a VILE foe, their ideologies clash as their paths cross, seeking to determine if justice is law, or if justice is ethics.Currently this is a test run of the idea which was requested by Wattpad user: laabsmirI take no credit for this concept for an AU.Their profile can be found here: https://my.w.tt/IOvl0XTjnbbPresently this is a one off test of the idea but I hope you enjoy it.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9





	1. Scarlet Thief

This was requested by [laabsmir](https://www.wattpad.com/user/laabsmir) on Wattpad and was their concept. It was their suggestion.

Their Wattpad can be found here: https://my.w.tt/IOvl0XTjnbb

The air in the city is cold as snow falls from the skies, snowflakes dancing through the air. A young woman in a black suit walks down the street, her short black air combed in a very formal style as her black heels click against the pavement.

It sure is a cold day.

To her a cold day in Hell.

She chuckles at this thought, adjusting her glasses. She always told herself it would be a cold day in Hell when she would break the law.

And this, after what she saw this morning, may as well be Hell.

So, maybe it is a cold day in Hell.

The young woman slips into an internet cafe, opening a laptop in the corner of the crowded building. She turns on a VPN, at least knowing the basics.

"Now," she sighs to herself, "We wait."

Her phones rings, she nervously takes it out of her pocket, the caller's number is blocked.

She answers.

"So," a voice asks, "You need something hacked?"

"Yes," she replies, "I was told you... had a skillset in the area?"

"Yeah," the voice on the phone replies, "Connect it to your phone via USB and I'll take a crack at it."

The young woman complies, connecting her phone to another in her purse.

"Ah this is heavy security," the man on the phone explains, "But I should be able to get in if I... OK got it so what do we have here? Oh. Oh my."

"What is it?" The young woman inquires.

"This looks like a series of hiest plans, illegal dealings, and the like," the voice on the phone replies, "Where did you get this?"

"It was confiscated from a prisoner who was mysteriously released," the young woman replies.

"Well if you're a cop you may wanna head down to the station and tell them," the voice on the phone replies, "There's a heist tonight."

The young woman begins to get up to do so, but something stops her, she clenches her fist, shaking her head, "Actually... I think it's better I handle it yourself."

"I'll lend a hand then," the caller responds with a shrug, leaning back in his chair in a dark room, "What's your name?"

"Julia," the young woman replies, "And you are?"

"I'm not dumb enough to tell my real name to a cop," the caller replies, "Just call me... Player..."

Six months later.

A young woman in a red overcoat stands atop a roof in the night, looking down upon an art museum, as if waiting for something. She adjusts her hat, large and also a deep crimson, to hide her fair skinned face.

"So what's do we have this time," the woman inquires into an earpiece.

A voice replies, "Art heist, really valuable stuff. Same plan as always? Steal it, keep it safe from the real robbers, and return it like we always do?"

"Yup," the woman replies, "The usual deal Player. Fake is already in place."

"Be careful Julia," Player replies, "You know these agents have to be working for someone, and they must be getting angry by now."

"We've handled it before," Julia assures Player. She spots someone in a green suit with blonde hair slip in through a skylight. She smiles, "And we'll do it again."

Julia follows suite after the thief...

A woman in a red jacket walks down the street. She has a, one could say, cinnamon completion. Her brown hair is tried into a bun, she wears jeans, sneakers, and a red jacket. She speaks into an ear piece, "I've got eyes on the Scarlett Thief."

A voice on the other end replies, "Permission to precede agent Sandiego. Don't let her escape again. She must have some connection to your former employers, they're always at the same place."

"Consider it done," the agent replies rushing into the museum...

A woman with blonde hair enters the museum, she wears a green and orange shit with sharp claws attached to her fingers. She gracefully leaps over the security lasers, sliding between them with ease as she approaches a glass case with a small, antique statue held within, a priceless relic. She chuckles as she uses her claws to slice the glass open in a circle, taking the statue in her hand.

"Wait a second," she hisses, "This... this is a fake!"

"You always do fall for the bait and switch," a voice chuckles, Julia revealing herself with a false persona of confidence despite feeling as though she is in way over her head, "Tigress was it? You work for that secret crime syndicate V.I.L.E., yes?"

"You again!" Tigress growls, claws at the ready, "You've been a thorn in my side since France! What did I ever do to you?"

"It's not what you did," Julia replies bitterly reflecting on that day, "Or what anyone did, it's what they didn't do. Anyways, I was hoping you could answer some questions for me, or the police, better them than nothing even if they are useless."

"Like a skilled agent like me would be captured so easily," Tigress chuckles, "Do you know how easy it would be to hide your corpse?"

"No," Julia responds, hiding her fear as she reaches for her weapon of choice, a silenced pistol loaded with rubber bullets, designed to knock the target unconscious rather than kill. "Can't say I do."

"Well you won't be around to find out!" Tigress yells, charging Julia, whom ducks under her first slash, drawing her pistol and firing a round at Tigress's head. Tigress narrowly avoids it, the bullet scraping her cheek, drawing blood as she lunges. Julia leaps back and steadies her stance, well aware that Tigress is fighting to aggressively to allow a clear shot to be set up.

Julia falls back on her hand to hand training, blocking an elbow from Tigress with her forearm before kneeing Tigress in the stomach. The agent of V.I.L.E. coughs up blood, but gets a good to Julia's cheek, drawing blood from three deep scratches.

Tigress prepares to aim for the throat after jumping back to get her bearings, but spots the entrance to the museum opening. Tigress smirks, taunting, "Fine. I got better to do."

Tigress uses a grappling hook to make a quick exit.

"That went well," Julia sighs with relief into her earpiece.

"Almost to well," Player responds, "She usually puts up more of a fight. Put the statue back in place and get out of there, quickly."

"Relax it's not like that agent is gonna be here of all places," Julia assures Player, grabbing a case from under her jacket and placing it back in the case unharmed as she picks up the fake, "What are the odds that Carmen is-"

"El fantasma escarlata!" A voice exclaims, "I might have known!"

"Oh so the scarlet phantom is what they're calling me?" Julia asks as she turns around, the fake in her hand and the real treasure safe in the glass case, "This isn't what it looks like Carmen."

"That's Ms. Sandiego to you," Carmen retorts, "You claim to be in the right but if that's the case why not turn yourself in? You haven't killed anyone and clearly have info on this crime syndicate."

"Please the law is just as vile as they are," Julia retorts with a glare, "I'm handling this myself. You really trust your employers?"

"I'm upholding something," Carmen retorts, "Unlike you who just upholds what they feel like? I've seen those who work outside the law, they're not good people. Without laws there can be no justice."

"Then what if the law is corrupt ms. Sandiego?" Julia demands, slowly reaching for something on her belt, "Do you rebel or accept injustice?"

"I work within the law to change the law," Carmen counters, distracted by Julia's words and not noticing Julia's plans to escape, "You can't just ignore society."

"You imply a corrupt system can fix itself," Julia reminds, "When the very fact it is corrupt implies that anything within will only preserve its own injustice. You cannot destory evil while being evil yourself. Consider that, Ms. Sandiego."

With a sudden jolt, Julia grabs a grappling hook and shoots through the skylight. Carmen fires off two rounds from her pistol, missing both times. She flinches as broken glass reigns down from above where Julia breaks through the ceiling before jumping away from roof to roof, dropping the fake on her way up.

"Curses," Carmen mutters, walking towards the fake, "At least the art is OK... wait. This is a fake, but I saw her put something in the case why would she put the real one back?"

Carmen looks up, muttering to herself, "What's your game... el fantasma escarlata?"


	2. New Year, New Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia meets some new, unexpected allies as a new year dawns.

"This is to risky a job," one of two thieves in ski masks protests atop the roof of a mansion.

"So what do we do just let them use this money to buy more drugs to smuggle in?" The other protests, "If we don't do this no one will and we got bills to pay. Two birds one stone."

"These aren't the usual small town gangsters," the more cautious thief reminds, "They'll gun us down and dump us in the river without a second thought."

"That's why we have to stop them," the careless thief debates, "They would do that cause they know they can. You know they got the cops on their pay roll."

"Fine," the cautious thief concedes, "But it's a quick in and out and we bail if even the slightest thing goes off script."

The two look down through a skylight to see a party going down below, and open it to sneak inside the manor...

Six hours prior...

Julia walks down the street, talking to Player on an ear piece, "So what does the file say Player?"

"V.I.L.E. has a death grip on this small town via the drug cartel," Player explains opening files on his computer, "Every cop there is being payed off by the cartel. They've got millions in drug money passing through there, with a party as a front to draw eyes away from it."

"Of course once again the law is useless," Julia sighs, "So, when is this party?"

"Tonight at midnight, celebrating the new year," Player explains.

"A day of excuses to break the law that isn't enforced in the first place," Julia bitterly retorts.

"You know the New Year is a time for new beginnings," Player interjects, worry in his tone, "Maybe you can start letting go out this hatred. It's worrying."

"I mean," Julia sighs, "You're right it's really not healthy but back when I was a cop I had this partner, my only real friend at the time and..."

"He was crooked?" Player asks.

"Yeah," Julia responds.

"Well the best way to fight hate is with love," Player explains, speaking wisdom beyond his years, "And love can be platonic, romantic, or familial. I take it the second two forms of love aren't really options for you but may be you should try making some friends."

"You're not one to talk given how you've never mentioned any friends," Julia points out.

"I have you," Player reminds.

Julia sighs, conceding, "Yeah... yeah. You're right. I don't really know how I'm supposed to make friends though. I'm a wanted criminal across the globe on the run from an international organization called A.C.M.E.. Kinda hard to meet people."

"I suppose," Player shrugs, "But let's focus on the job for now. The party starts in six hours. At midnight the file says that V.I.L.E. will come to get the safe. You'll need to get in, but the front entrance is to conspicuous. When you're in you'll need to sneak to the fuse box on the second floor, past some security that will probably be there and cut the power. With the alarm down you'll need to get to the safe. Here's the tricky part. The safe is in a hidden room, there's an aqueduct leading to the river that V.I.L.E. will probably use to move the money."

"Why do they need a boat?" Julia inquires.

"Lot of boats will be out to watch a fireworks display over a bridge down the river," Player explains, "Just before midnight. This way they blend in and disappear into the night without a trace. All rivers go to the ocean as they say, and they could be meeting up with other agents at any number of docks after."

"So to get this money we have to get to the safe before they get away," Julia replies, confirming that this is the case.

"Sounds like a fairly easy job," Julia replies, "I'll case the place out and we'll work from there."

Present time.

The two robbers and ski masks slip into the party from an unoccupied room entered via the sky light. The party is... to say the least, not the most clean place. The two remove their masks for the time being to blend in, and pass by pasty old men doing lines of coke, must to the disgust of the duo.

Their faces are revealed, they are both fair skinned, just at the start of adulthood. Their red hair is short and slightly curly, the more cautious thief having a slightly longer cut than her careless accomplice, whom has freckles slightly more pronounced than her own.

The two head up a red maple stairwell with extravagant and pointless designs carved into the wooden railings.

This worthless decadence along with the ethicless depravity below them fills the two with a truly vile feeling as they rise above it.

"At a certain point isn't this kind of pointless?" The young man asks.

"Yeah this needless decedance never appealed to me," the young woman replies, "I get wanting a nice house, a nice meal, but at a certain point, I don't get it. It's so pointless at a certain point. They can get their high and their fancy smanchy stairs but... what does that do for personal fulfilment. We could have all this and... I wouldn't happy."

"People forget that only self actualization can bring joy sis," the young man replies revealing the two to be related, "And they become wicked and vile. Truly vile. Let's get the money and shut their little operation down."

The duo turn the corner to see a muscular guard down the hall, they hide behind the corner to regroup.

"Old razzle dazzle?" The brother asks.

"Go on three," the sister replies taking out a flashbang grenade, both putting their masks back on. "I've only got one of these though so make it count."

The brother nods in understanding and the two charge the guard down. The sister throws a flash bang and closes her eyes yelling, "Razzle!"

The brother closes his eyes, covering them with his forearm as the guard is blinded by the flash of light. The brother seizes the opportunity to drop kick the guard, knocking the guard out as he yells, "And dazzle!"

The guard lays unconscious on the ground, seeing stars, hence the name the two give this maneuver.

"OK let's move before they hear the noise," the sister demands.

The two dash down the hall, not knowing someone in red is following them...

The two enter an office with a very soft red carpet, two bookshelves at the far wall on the left and right of a window, and two busts of the manor's owner, a fat, pompous looking man carved into marble.

There is also a mahogany desk at the front of the room, the leather chair behind it empty.

"Look around Zack," the sister demands, "The secret passage must be around here somewhere."

Zack nods, examining the book shelf as Ivy checks the drawers of the desk.

"So what are we gonna do when we get this money Ivy?" Zack inquires, "I mean, I get it's not about the money it's about sticking it to the cartel but we're still gonna, you know, have the money."

"I don't know I haven't thought that far," Ivy replies, "I guess donate it, save a fair bit for ourselves but again at a certain point you don't need more money."

Zack nods in agreement as he examines one of the busts, noticing the space where the neck connects to the head has a small gap. He opens it, revealing a red button which, when pushed, unveils the secret tunnel in the floor.

"Nice work!" Ivy nudges her brother endearingly, "Let's get this bread!"

The two dash down the stairs into an underground cave where a small safe sits on the ground, six feet away from an underwater stream which flows out into the open waters.

"Let's blast this open and get moving!" Zack exclaims eagerly.

"That wouldn't be wise," A voice advises, footsteps echoing through the cave as a young woman in a scarlet outfit enters.

The siblings are on guard, Zach lifting his fist as she explains, "Hey, easy. I'm on your side I'm here for the goods for... similar reasons."

The siblings exchange a look and nod, lower their guards.

"What's your name?" Zach asks.

"Julia," she replies, "And I overheard you two are, Zach and Ivy?"

The two nod.

"I can crack the safe if you're willing to split the gains," Julia explains approaching.

"It's less risky than blasting it," Ivy shrugs, "Go ahead."

Julia approaches and, her ear pressed to the black steel, slowly turns the knob on the safe.

"So what do you do for fun?" Zach inquires, making conversation.

"A good book," Julia replies, "Sometimes I enjoy some rock climbing when I'm free, but I don't get the chance often given my line of work."

"Yeesh ain't that the truth," Ivy sighs, "Hard to find time when you're on the run."

Ivy, feeling comfortable with Julia, removes her mask, "My bro and I, we used to be race car drivers, got into some debt and turned to this. Eventually found we were pretty good at it and stole from the wicked. Better we have the money than them."

"I do a similar thing," Julia replies as Zack to removes his mask as well, "Steal from this crime syndicate. Donate most of it, keep only what I need."

Hearing something in the distance Ivy inquires, her and her brother putting their masks back on, "That syndicate employ a weirdo with dyed hair on one half?"

"Yes why do you-" Julia begins to ask as she gets the safe open, "Oh. Oh that's not good."

A boat approaches, the driver humming an eerie, playful tune. Her hair is formed into a U shape, black on one side and blue on the other. Her eyebrows match this, and with her spiked yellow jacket and purple lipstick this creates an unstable air about her.

"Get down!" Julia demands just as the safe opens. The V.I.L.E. agent throwing a paper star at Zack's head which he narrowly ducks, looking behind him to see if pierce the stone walls of the cave.

"That's one Hell of a paper cut," Ivy comments.

The agent gets off the boat.

"Paper Star," Julia greets bitterly.

"As the scarlet phantom," Paper Star smiles, "I'll enjoy making your skin match the crimson of your clothes. How about your friends here? Who dies first? Hmmm..."

She looks at Julia, who steps back, afraid of the gaze of this sadist.

"You're out numbered," Zack yells, his voice shaking.

"It's no fun if it's not fair for my prey," Paper Star snickers. "Even then, this feels uneven, to easy. It's almost not fun to kill you."

Paper Star smiles wildly as she reveals six throwing stars, "Almost."

She unleashes a volley which the trio avoid.

"I'll distract her!" Julia exclaims, "Take the money and go!"

"What about you?" Ivy demands.

"We can't let this cartel continue," Julia retorts, "Go! Hurry!"

Paper Star leaps off the boat and charges Julia, leaving the siblings to grab the money.

Julia ducks under a kick from Paper Star, leaving her open to a throwing star that slices her cheek. She tries to counter with a left hook that Paper Star sidesteps before kicking Julia in the stomach, sending her staggering back. Julia rolls out of the way of a volley in the nick of time, getting cuts on her left arm which draw blood.

"We can't leave her behind," Zack protests.

"I have a plan get in the boat," Ivy orders handing Zack the money.

Zack complies, the two hop in.

"Brace yourself this is gonna be tight!" Ivy yells steering hard left with the boat at full throttle.

Paper Star is about to strike with another throwing star to kill Julia, only to hear the boat start running. She turns to see Ivy doing a doughnut in the water, scratching the boat against the wall of the cave sending sparks flying and scratching the metal, but also sending a massive wave to the shore, splashing Julia and Paper Star.

Paper Star, enraged, prepares to throw a throwing star at them only to find it soggy and useless.

Julia sweeps Paper Star's legs and jumps on the boat before the agent can recover.

"Gun it!" Julia demands.

The trio exit the cave full speed, cash in hand, just as the firework show begins in the distance, signaling the start of the new year.

"So who was that?" Ivy asks.

"An agent of V.I.L.E.," Julia explains, "A criminal organization that I steal from and return what was stolen, donating most of the liquid assets I get, keeping enough to get by."

"How big is V.I.L.E.?" Zack asks, "They running multiple cartels?"

Julia nods, "And probably more but I only have so much info."

The three fall into silence for a bit before Ivy asks, "Can... we tag along then?"

"What?" Julia asks.

"She has a point," Zack replies, "Three heads are better than one or two, and V.I.L.E., if they're as big as you say, has to be stopped. We can help more people that way and besides, you seem cool. We would be happy to help."

"Of course!" Julia exclaims happily, "Welcome aboard."

The trio smile looking at the fire works as Ivy comments, "You got a New Year's resolution Julia?"

Julia happily replies, "It was gonna be to make some new friends, but I think... I already have."


End file.
